Top 7 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Defenses (Week 13)

We will have you covered throughout the 2023 fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top waiver wire targets for the week below. And check out all of our Week 13 fantasy football waiver wire advice.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

DEFENSES

Jacksonville Jaguars: 33% rostered

• Next Opponents: CIN, @CLE, BAL
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: If you need a defense to get you through the final two weeks of fantasy football’s regular season, the Jaguars are an attractive option. Jacksonville will face the QB-challenged Cincinnati and Cleveland offenses the next two weeks. The Bengals could scrape up only 10 points against the Steelers on Sunday, with backup QB Jake Browning completing 19-of-26 passes for 227 yards with one touchdown, one interception and four sacks. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who started for the Browns in Week 12, didn’t throw any interceptions or take any sacks, but he completed 14-of-29 passes for 134 yards before being knocked out of the game on a vicious hit. P.J. Walker finished for Denver and was sacked four times in the process. The Jaguars’ defense entered Week 12 tied for 13th in fantasy points per game at 8.0. The Jags sacked C.J. Stroud four times on Sunday and entered Week 12th ranked 11th in pressure rate.

Atlanta Falcons: 10% rostered

• Next Opponents: @NYJ, TB, @CAR
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Can I interest you in a defense that faces third-string Jets QB Tim Boyle this week? Ah, I thought so. Boyle’s Week 12 start against the Dolphins was predictably disastrous, with the veteran journeyman completing 27-of-38 passes for 179 yards, with one touchdown, two interceptions (one of which was returned for a TD) and seven sacks. Never mind that the Atlanta defense went into Week 12 tied for 26th in fantasy points per game (5.0). Boyle will make the Falcons’ defense look good.

Los Angeles Chargers: 15% rostered

• Next Opponents: @NE, DEN, @LV
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $3
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The Chargers went into Week 12 ranked seventh in sacks with 34. The loss of edge rusher Joey Bosa to a foot injury is a severe blow, but the Chargers are still a viable Week 13 streaming option against a wayward Patriots offense that’s cycling through mediocre quarterbacks. Mac Jones was benched late in New England’s Week 11 game and benched again in Week 12 after completing 12-of-21 passes for 89 yards and throwing two interceptions in a 10-7 loss to the Giants. Second-year QB Bailey Zappe relieved Jones and wasn’t much of an improvement, completing 9-of-14 passes for 54 yards and an interception.

Los Angeles Rams: 7% rostered

• Next Opponents: CLE, @BAL, WSH
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $3
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The Rams’ defense entered Week 12 tied for last with the Panthers in fantasy scoring, but the Rams’ D played well in a 37-14 win over the Cardinals in Week 12, and it gets a scrumptious Week 13 matchup against the Browns. Cleveland QBs Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker combined to complete 20-of-42 passes for 190 yards against the Broncos on Sunday with one touchdown, no interceptions and four sacks. Cleveland averaged just 3.8 yards per play against Denver. It’s not clear which quarterback will start against the Rams, as Thompson-Robinson left in the second half after taking a hard shot from a Denver pass rusher, but it doesn’t matter much. This is an offense to target with your team defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 30% rostered

• Next Opponents: CAR, @ATL, @GB
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $3
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The Buccaneers get a Week 13 date with the Panthers, who haven’t scored more than 15 points in a game since Week 5. Carolina entered Week 12 having allowed 11.2 fantasy points per game to opposing defenses, fourth-most in the league behind only the Jets, Giants and Commanders. The Panthers’ rookie quarterback, Bryce Young, has thrown eight interceptions and taken 40 sacks in 10 starts. The Buccaneers went into Week 12 ranked a respectable 12th in defensive DVOA.

Indianapolis Colts: 13% rostered

• Next Opponents: @TEN, @CIN, PIT
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: In its last three games, the Indianapolis defense has recorded 15 sacks, five interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. It helped that those games were against the offensively challenged Panthers, Patriots and Buccaneers, but the Colts get another nice matchup this week against the Titans and rookie QB Will Levis. Tennessee scored 28 points in Levis’ first start, but the Titans have scores 17 or fewer points in each of their last four games.

Stash Candidates:

• New Orleans Saints

It’s rare for us to recommend stashing a defense, but if you have a roster spot to spare, it might be worth tucking the New Orleans defense away. You wouldn’t want to play the Saints against the Lions this week (despite Lions QB Jared Goff‘s recent struggles), but the Saints get appealing matchups in Weeks 14-15 against the Panthers and Giants. The New Orleans defense entered Week 12 tied for ninth in fantasy points per game at 8.1.